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Domaine Courbet, Côtes du Jura Chardonnay

Jura, France 2016 (750mL)
$29.00
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Domaine Courbet, Côtes du Jura Chardonnay

I love Chardonnay, and I don’t care who knows it. It’s probably my favorite grape, and I could drink it every day for the rest of my life. There. I said it. Quote me.
Today’s Côtes du Jura Chardonnay from Domaine Courbet is a delicious wine, a kissing cousin to great Meursault, yet completely “its own thing” at the same time. Good luck finding a Premier Cru Meursault, to which this bottle favorably compares, at “only” twice this price. This is one of those rare values for a type of wine where values just don’t exist. Or, rather, they mostly don’t: This one is a truly miraculous aberration, with the kind of depth and mineral drive real Chardonnay lovers crave—quote me on that, too. This is not to be missed.
Jura is located directly in the middle of Burgundy and Switzerland and its wine styles are beholden to both. Historically heralded for its vin jaune (“yellow wine”)—which is beautiful in its own right, if often misunderstood—the terroir here provides remarkable growing conditions for Burgundy varieties made in fresh, alpine styles. A new generation of producers in the Jura is churning out incredible quality wines at insane value levels.

Centuries ago, both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made the short trek (just an hour east) up into this picturesque and peaceful mountain region and were greeted by soils remarkably similar to those of their homeland: limestone and marl as far as the eye could see. In Jura, the high elevations and cold nights provide the Chardonnay with a Chablisienne acid backbone, but longer time in barrels and some coaxing in the cellar resolves the wines into more of an old-school Meursault profile, all dripping with ghee and honey and almond-y delight.

Founded in 1869 in the village of Nevy-sur-Seille, Domaine Courbet is run by the father and son team of Jean-Marie and Damien Courbet, with Damien taking control in 2011. A long résumé belies his youthful exuberance—stints at California’s Au Bon Climat, Alsace’s Zind-Humbrecht, and Nicolas Potel’s projects in both Burgundy and South Africa are among the highlights. The man has traveled and trained, and he knows wine. 

The Courbet property is in a section of the Jura known as the upper Seille. In this area, the concentration of Jurassic limestone is even higher than other spots. Their 7.5 hectares of vineyards, located on the lower and mid-slopes of the mountains, are farmed fully organic and biodynamic. Everything is harvested manually, and today’s wine comes from 20- to 35-year-old vines. The small Courbet estate grows and produces mostly white, although their reds aren’t to be missed, either. 

All the wines undergo indigenous yeast fermentation with minimal use of sulfur, and age in mostly used oak for 15-16 months with occasional yeast stirring. In barrel, the wine—per Jura tradition—sits under a veil of voile. This is a thin film of yeast that only develops in a few spots in the world, and it protects the wines from oxidation during the aging process while imbuing the wine with a salty, briny character.

Courbet was the go-to Jura wine for top wine lists well before the region’s recent counter-culture renaissance. Their wines share a Burgundian sensibility, soils, geography—really, everything but the price!

This wine is both fresh and savory, light yet dense, unique but familiar. Loads of ripe citrus, soaring white and yellow florality, with creamy hazelnut, yeastiness, and blanched almonds. The 2016s are in short supply, a small but high-quality vintage (particularly for the whites). With the prices of the 2016 Burgundies coming out…ouch. Grab great values like this one when you can.

Serve this textured gem at 52 degrees in Burgundy stems. Start with comté gougères and roll into a creamy, thin-sliced veal dish for your main. Once you get a gander at the attached recipe, one thing is clear: A second bottle (and maybe a third) is a likely necessity. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Jura
Sub-Region
FranceCôtes du Jura
Soil
Limestone & Clay/Marl
Farming
Organic & Biodynamic
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Mostly Used French
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
All-Purpose White or Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2026
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Veal Scallops 'Comtoise'

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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